Changing habits

Make one New Year’s resolution

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Here are the top four New Year’s resolutions. How many of these have been on your make-and-break list?

  • Lose weight
  • Get organized
  • Spend less/save more
  • Enjoy life to the fullest

I’m not big on making New Year’s resolutions because I don’t like to waste time. Statistics say that only 8% of us stick to New Year’s resolutions. Why spend time wishing for something that doesn’t happen most of the time for most people?

But these are great goals! So what can you do to make a resolution stick this year? Continue reading →

Getting in the question habit

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I recently read a great study by psychologist Arthur Aron positing whether two strangers could fall in love simply by asking each other a series of 36 questions. The first 13 questions are about how we present ourselves. The next 13 are about what we dream of and what we value. The last 13 are about friendship, family, and partners.

And here’s the clincher. At the end of the 36 questions, the two strangers have to face each other and look into each other’s eyes for 4 minutes. Aron says 2 minutes doesn’t do it – that’s simply terrifying. It’s at 4 minutes that things start to happen. Continue reading →

Organizational Tips for Kids

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When I give talks on Organizational Zen, I’m often asked by frazzled parents if I have tips for helping kids stay organized. My best advice is to lead by example. If your stuff isn’t in order, your kids see it, so why should they get their own stuff in order? Right?

If you’ve got that down, then I’d add these seven guidelines to help your kids create their own Organizational Zen. Continue reading →

9 tips to be more productive

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You’d like to be more productive.

  • You want to get more done
  • You want more control over your time
  • You want to be dependable
  • You feel edgy about things that aren’t getting done
  • You want to look back on 2017 and realize it was your best year yet

So how do you get there? There are lots of right ways. The trick is to make your own rules and to give yourself time to form new habits.

You can put this off. Or you can get started. Here are a few thoughts to get your energy flowing in a new direction.

Continue reading →

Getting in the flow

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Can you remember a time in your life when you were working on something that completely captivated you – and how delicious that felt?

Author and thinker Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes this as being in a state of “flow”. Flow isn’t a random thing that just happens from time to time. Flow is something you can look for and welcome into your life.

How can you bring flow into any activity?

Choice
Choose what you’re working on. Think about why you’re doing what you’re doing. What is your intent? There’s lots of stuff you have to do. What do you want to do? Continue reading →

Finding awe

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If you want to feel inspired, to feel your energy lift, to set off in a new direction, try a dose of AWE.

  • Gaze at a newborn baby.
  • Lift your eyes to a starry night.
  • Take a hike to a mountaintop – or go to the top of the tallest building you can find.
  • Sit by a body of water.
  • Listen to an incredible piece of music.
  • Walk around in a rain storm or in swirling snow. Continue reading →

The disorganization habit

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Have you ever uttered these words?

  • I’m not messy – I’m creative
  • I’ve always been disorganized
  • Someone will remind me if I forget
  • I run late – people are used to it
  • Don’t mind the mess at my house – it’s my mess and I love it

Then you may be in the disorganization habit. And maybe it’s working for you. But if you’re reading this post, then maybe you’re looking for a change. Continue reading →

The plot thickens…

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In the secret world that only you know, what does your ideal life look like? This isn’t the world that other people see for you. Or a world that everyone else wants. This is your world.

  • If you were writing the novel of your life…
  • What’s the plot line? Is this a historic novel? A romance? A mystery? High adventure?
  • What century is it? Are you in revolutionary war France? The wild west? Ancient Rome? Current-day America?
  • Where do you live? Is it warm or cold? Mountain or shore? Continue reading →

How do you spend your time?

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How do you spend your time? Do you choose with focus and intent? Or are your days more random?

When you’re surfing the net or watching TV, is your energy up, or down? When you stop, do you feel lighter or heavier? Are you learning something? Sharing something?

Do your activities make a difference in your life or in the lives of others? Are you using your time well? Does what you’re doing affect you at a soul level? Continue reading →